Christmas Fruit Pudding Cake Recipes

CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Soak cherries, mango, cranberries, currants, and citron in 1/4 cup rum for at least 24 hours. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 6x3-inch round pan or loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix into butter and sugar in three batches, alternating with molasses and milk. Stir in soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rum.
• Cut out one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth, each large enough to wrap around the cake. Moisten cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Arrange cheesecloth on top of parchment paper, and unmold cake onto it. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with remaining rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake, then wrap with paper. Place in an airtight tin, and age for at least 10 weeks. If storing longer, douse with additional rum for every 10 weeks of storage.

CHRISTMAS FRUIT PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Sift flour, sugar, soda and salt together. Add eggs and fruit cocktail with juice, mixing well. Pour into a greased and floured 8 or 9 inch tube pan. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Top warm cake with pudding icing.
• Pudding Icing: Place butter, sugar, milk and egg yolk in heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add vanilla, coconut and nuts, mixing well. Cool slightly; place on top warm cake.
• Note: Cherries and mint gum drops may be added to top of the cake to make it look more festive.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, combine the nuts, dates and cherries. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; add to nut mixture, stirring until nuts and fruit are well coated. , In a small bowl, beat eggs until foamy; stir in vanilla. Fold into nut mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased parchment-lined 9x5-in. loaf pan. , Bake at 300° for 1-3/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

FRUIT & NUT CHRISTMAS PUDDING LOAF

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit, cherries, apple, zests, apple juice, brandy and Cointreau in a large bowl. Microwave on High for 1 min, then leave to soak overnight.
• Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking paper. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the kettle on to boil and have a roasting tin, plus a sheet of buttered foil, ready.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until it turns a little paler, then stir in the eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, syrup, spices, salt, soaked fruit and the nuts. Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Scrunch the foil loosely over the tin, twisting corners to tighten it around the tin's edges. Sit it in the roasting tin, then pour in a few cms of boiling water. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 40 mins.
• After 40 mins, turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and cook for another 1½ hrs, topping up the water level every now and again.
• To reheat the pudding, either return it to a medium oven for 30 mins in its tin, or turn out onto a serving plate, cover loosely with cling film and microwave for 5 mins on Medium. For the topping, gently heat the butter, sugar and syrup together until the sugar dissolves, stir in the brandy, then tip in the nuts and fruit. Spoon over the hot pudding and dust with a little icing sugar, if you like.

MINI CHRISTMAS PUDDING TREATS

Steps:

• Crumble the fruitcake with your hands into a mixing bowl.
• Stir in the brandy and mix thoroughly. Add enough of the brandy (or substitute) so that the mixture will easily roll into walnut sized balls. Roll into balls using your hands.
• Place the rolled balls onto a lined baking tray.
• Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the balls to represent the custard. Use a teaspoon and let the chocolate run down the sides of the little puddings.
• Chop the snake lollies using scissors into small slices. Add two green and one red piece to the top of the puddings. Position the lolly pieces lose together, these become the holly atop of the puddings.
• Refrigerate until the chocolate has set. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.